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Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to medical/dental examination mirrors, and more particularly to an illuminating mirror used in combination with a light source.
2. Description of the Background Art
Direct observation is often prescribed within dental and medical procedures to enhance diagnostic ability and accuracy of procedures. Often the area to be observed is not accessible for direct viewing and illumination, for example a large portion of the dental surfaces and gums within the oral cavity of a dental patient. Examination mirrors have thereby been used to provide a mechanism for indirect, reflected, viewing.
Examination mirrors, such as a dental mirror, are typically small circular mirrors affixed at an angle to one end of an elongate handle. The dental mirror is positioned in the mouth of the patient so as to reflect an image of the tooth back to the eye of the dentist. It will be appreciated that the clarity and usefulness of the reflected image viewed by the dentist is dependent in part upon the relative amount of ambient light within the oral cavity, however, typical mirrors do not provide a source of illumination.
To increase the amount of light in the mouth, a conventional dental lamp is generally positioned overhead to direct light into the mouth of the patient. However, the hands and head of the dentist as well as dental implements may come between the dental lamp and the mouth of the patient thereby blocking the rays of light, causing the appearance of shadows and otherwise interfering with the reflection from the dental mirror. To avoid these problems, the overhead dental lamp must be constantly positioned and repositioned which requires hand contact with the lamp by the dentist or assistant which can lead to cross-contamination of patients. A variety of handle covers for the overhead lamp have been devised to minimize the possibility of cross-contamination. The patient is also required to open the mouth as wide as possible to maximize the available light which may cause discomfort to patients and in particular those patients suffering with temporal-mandibular joint deficiencies.
In addition, regardless of positioning, the eyes of the patient are exposed to direct high intensity light from the overhead lamp due to the relative proximity of the eyes to the oral cavity being examined. The repetitive repositioning of the dental lamp also increases the time it takes the dentist to complete each dental procedure, reducing the total number of patients that can be seen by the dentist in a day.
Attempts in the prior art to avoid these problems include directing a beam of light from a light source attached to the handle onto the angled dental mirror to illuminate portions of the oral cavity. However, the intense reflected light reduces the reflective surface of the mirror available for view as well as being uncomfortable and interfering with the vision of the dentist.
Furthermore, light sources attached to the handle or fiber optic cables attached to the handle of the dental instrument have the disadvantage of reducing the maneuverability of the instrument in relation to the patient. Such combinations may be relatively heavy and difficult to manipulate by the dentist.
Other combinations employ a portion of the reflective mirror partially or completely removed having a light source contained below the surface of the mirror to provide illumination, such dental mirrors are necessarily large, while they generate heat. These types of dental mirrors have the disadvantage of being hard to sterilize and are expensive and difficult to manufacture in comparison with conventional mirrors. A further disadvantage of these xe2x80x9cthrough the mirror light sourcesxe2x80x9d is the accompanying reduction of viewing area which may be further impeded by the divergent light emitted from the mirror surface. Reduced viewing area and/or the large head size of these instruments increases the number of adjustments made by the dentist during a given procedure thereby extending the length of the procedure. In addition, the light provided by these illumination sources diverges upon emission from the mirror and the amount of directed light is reduced rather than concentrated.
Accordingly, a need exists for an inexpensive illuminating mouth mirror that can efficiently concentrate light to a desired examination area, such as at a spot within the oral cavity of a patient, without causing patient discomfort or obscuring the view of the practitioner. The present invention satisfies that need, as well as others, and generally overcomes the deficiencies found in existing equipment.
The present invention is an illuminated examination mirror for medical and dental procedures which provides concentrated light to enhance the visibility of a subject area viewed by a practitioner utilizing the mirror. The illuminated examination mirror of the present invention may be manufactured as a mirror head for connection to a light source, or as a head portion of a one-piece examination mirror which contains a light-source. One principle drawback of prior lighted examination mirrors is that the emitted light is not concentrated above the plane of the reflective surface of the mirror, and so is not focused on the subject area of the mirror. The apparatus of the present invention concentrates the light and thereby provides more effective illumination with a given amount of light energy while eliminating the need to use external light sources that expose the practitioner and patient to harsh light which is not easily directed to the subject area.
By way of example, and not of limitation, the invention includes an angled head with an elongate neck which may be operably connected to a light source. The angled head and at least a portion of the elongate neck are capable of conducting light from the source of illumination. The angled head surrounds a portion of the outer periphery of the mirror to angularly direct light generally for convergence above the plane of the mirror.
The light source can be a battery powered pen light type light source which is portable and easily maneuverable. The light source may also be a conventional fiber optic light source which is fixed, such as an ISO connector. The present invention is also adapted so that light may be conducted in the visible and non-visible wavelengths to suit a variety of examination applications. For example, fluorescent dyes may be used to disclose plaque when exposed to light of specific wavelengths. Likewise, photocurable orthodontic adhesives and dental composites are cured by exposure to ultraviolet or visible light at optimal wavelengths. The illuminating mirrors of the present invention can fit adaptors of both battery operated, ISO connector, tethered and non-tether corded systems and handpieces to allow the transmission of essentially any wavelength of light from virtually any desired source of illumination.
An object of the invention is to efficiently illuminate a subject area being viewed by an examination mirror without exposing the face or eyes of the patient to harsh overhead light.
Another object of the invention is to provide an illuminating examination mirror that can concentrate light at a point above the reflecting surface of the mirror.
Another object of the invention is to provide an illuminating examination mirror that may adapted to operate with a variety of illumination sources.
Another object of the invention is to provide an illuminating examination mirror that can be manufactured as a disposable illuminating mirror head that can be discarded after a single use to avoid cross-contamination of patients.
Another object of the invention is to provide a device that facilitates efficient examination by illuminating a subject area without interfering with the reflected view accorded the practitioner.
Another object of the invention is to provide an illuminating examination mirror that can direct light into subject areas having minimal access without the necessity of enlarging the access to the subject area for illumination purposes.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be brought out in the following portions of the specification, wherein the detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing preferred embodiments of the invention without placing limitations thereon.